Diabolus Ex Machina
by T'Reilani
Summary: Special Operations isn't an easy field to work in sometimes. Prowl/Riella. Rated for violence.
1. I Am The Scout Commander

**Whee. Another fic. I have _never _hated my brain so much. Riella and Melody (mentioned here, appearing later) belong to me; the rest belong to Hasbro. This takes place on Cybertron before Riella and Prowl had kids. **

**Warnings for this chapter: Clinical descriptions of severe injuries. Riella's "Spock-speak" (if that annoys you). She's on duty, so she talks like that. She'll relax later. I think. ;) **

_**Diabolus Ex Machina **_

**I _Am_ the Scout Commander**

Riella tapped her fingers together, staring at the small mech standing in front of her. "Please explain exactly what you saw, Rattletrap."

"Okay, but why do I hafta do it twice?" Rattletrap stared right back at her, his expression a bit too admiring for her tastes.

Riella arched an optic ridge. "Twice?"

"Yeah, once ta ya an' once ta the scout commander."

The technorganic sighed internally. "I _am_ the scout commander. Now please explain."

"Right. Ya gotta be kidding." The streetwise mech smirked. "Pretty femme like ya? Everybody knows why your type gets into the military."

Riella almost growled, but managed to hold it back. She removed her ID card from her subspace and held it out. "Special Operations, Division 3 commander. Satisfied?"

"Whatever ya say." Rattletrap was still smirking, obviously not convinced of her effectiveness. "So, I was jus' outside Iacon, walkin' around, ya know."

"Yes." Riella suspected he meant something else, but chose not to ask. She really did _not_ want to know. "Carry on."

"Well, I was jus' walkin' past, an' I saw this mech, kinda stumblin' around. Figured he was a bit overcharged, so I went over ta see if he needed help gettin' home. Then..."

"Then what?" Riella leaned forward, irritated by his dodging. "Tell me."

Rattletrap's optics widened in a way that would have been comic, if they weren't dealing with probable Decepticon activity very close to Iacon. "He jus'...fell over. Like someone...cut the cables, ya know? I went right up ta him, an' he wasn't showin' a spark signal. That's when I saw the energon. He was bleedin'. A lot. It's no wonder he wasn't really walkin' right -"

"Okay." The blue femme cut him off with a slight gesture. "So you panicked and called in to Special Ops. I can take it from here, but please do not leave the area. I may have more questions." With that, she turned and went to the body. Her trainee, Mirage, was already kneeling beside it. "Anything so far?"

Mirage shrugged one shoulder. "Lots of energon, so Rattletrap was right about that. I think it's mostly from this injury, right here." He turned the mech carefully, revealing a deep gash in his chest. "I'm no medic, though."

"Hmm." Riella leaned in for a closer look. "You are right about where the energon came from, but that is not his only injury. Look at this."

There was the sound of two engines humming, and Prowl and Jazz transformed behind them. Both hurried over. "Sorry we're late, Riella," Jazz apologized, his Polyhex accent a bit more pronounced than usual. "Traffic. What've we got here?"

"No problem." Riella pointed. "This is where the energon came from, and probably what killed him. It is not a blaster wound; he was stabbed with something nasty. But that is not really what concerns me. Do you see this?"

Prowl took a careful look at the marks she indicated. "The metal is significantly melted. And this is charring damage. You think he was caught in an explosion?"

"Nah," Jazz shook his head. "If he were, he'd be missin' a limb or two, 'cause the meltin' is on his chassis and face."

"Correct." Riella brushed away the dirt, revealing more injuries. "See here? Corrosion. That is not from an explosion. And here." She lifted the mech's right arm. It flopped at a rather grotesque angle. "The support strut was broken."

All four scouts looked up at each other simultaneously. Prowl broke the silence. "Are you thinking what I am thinking?"

Riella's lips tightened. "This mech was tortured."

Mirage looked at his teachers nervously. "How'd he get here?"

Jazz shrugged. "Dunno. Ya think they let him go?"

Prowl ran a hand lightly over the battered chassis. "No. Not with these injuries. Too incriminating."

"Any ID?" Jazz checked the symbol on the mech's upper chest. "Autobot for sure."

"No, but I have Melody checking the database." Riella stood up. "Let's check around. He may have left tracks that could tell us something."

"Sounds good." Prowl turned. "Riella, go south, Jazz, west. Mirage, with me, we're going east."

Riella arched a brow ridge. "Prowl, I think I should go with you. East is the direction the 'Cons were last seen in, and preliminary scans suggest that's the direction this mech came from. Not that I doubt Mirage's abilities, but I think we need to play it safe here."

Jazz shrugged. "Y'might have a point, but no need for ya ta take all th' risks. I'll go with ya, Prowl."

Irked, Riella shook her head. "Jazz, I am just as capable as you."

"No one was questioning your abilities, Riella," Prowl said, wrapping one arm around his mate's shoulders in a quick hug. "Jazz is right, though. You do not have to take all the risks. Besides, you took the last three missions."

With a reluctant smile, the femme returned the hug. "I know, I know. Be safe, alright?"

"When aren't we?" Prowl grinned before starting off east. "Come on, Jazz, and if I hear any complaining about the route, just remember that you volunteered..."

Riella shook her head again at her mate's teasing. "Alright, Mirage. You take south, I will take west. Keep your comm unit on."

Two and a half megacycles later, the femme sighed, resting her hands on her slender hips and staring out across the rocky landscape. Mirage stood next to her, as usual waiting for her to speak.

"So you saw nothing. No energon trace, no scuff marks, no paint tracks?" He'd already reported, but she wanted to be sure it was covered.

"Nothing." Mirage almost yawned. "Nothing at all. That's what I _said_. Weren't you listening?"

"Yes. Yes, I was." Riella looked around. "My apologies. Jazz and Prowl did not check in with you, did they?"

"No." Mirage shook his head. "Wouldn't they have called you first? You're the superior officer."

Riella closed her optics. "I was afraid of that. Yes, they should have, but Jazz doesn't always stick to the rules, at least not strictly. I was hoping this was one of the times he had."

"Why, what's wrong?" The young mech looked worriedly down at Riella. She might be his superior, but he'd been taller than her for solar cycles.

"Maybe nothing. Maybe everything." The technorganic pressed one finger to her comm unit. "Prowl, come in. Jazz, do you read?"

All she heard was static.

Mirage's invisibility projector shimmered, as if he wanted to disappear. "That's bad."

"Really bad." Riella turned and started jogging, moving east.

"Where are you going?" Mirage kept up with her easily.

"East."

"I can see that, but why?"

Sometimes the young noblemech could be a pain in the aft. He hadn't quite learned all the basics of scouting yet. "To check up on Prowl and Jazz," she said as patiently as possible. "If they are not calling in, something is wrong."

"I know, but should we go in alone? Don't we need backup?" Mirage looked worried.

"Mirage." Riella stopped in her tracks and looked him right in the optics. "We _are _the backup."

"Oh." Mirage blushed. "Right."

"Right. So follow my lead, please." Riella transformed and took off, her groundbike mode covering ground much faster than she could on foot. Without looking, she knew Mirage was right behind her.

Half a megacycle of driving later, Riella was starting to wonder if her mate had even gone east. "Mirage, I'm not picking up any sign of them. Maybe we should -"

With no warning, she hit the brakes hard, turning sideways and skidding. She stopped so fast that Mirage ran into her. He transformed immediately, blushing again. "Sorry, I didn't mean -"

"Mirage." Riella didn't turn to look at him. "Forget the apology and tell me. Do you see what I'm seeing?"

Mirage looked away from her and down the slight slope, only to gasp in horror. "What...what the frag..."

Riella shuttered her optics, wincing. "Well, this explains where our torture victim came from."

Just down the slope from them, scattered like so many dolls, were several bodies, broken and covered in energon. From their location, it was impossible to tell even if they had been mechs, femmes, or both.


	2. Missing In Action

**I own nothing except Riella, Mel, and Gamma Ray! **

**Yes, it's getting creepier. And yes, I got the idea of throwing a Con in here from Noella's review. Thanks!**

**Missing In Action**

Mirage took a hesitant step forward, but Riella blocked him with one arm. "No further! You have no way of knowing what could be down there."

"Sorry." The young mech winced. "Wasn't thinking."

"Evidently." Riella, having confirmed that there was no visual threat, unsubspaced a small scanner and switched it on. "Stay back until I tell you everything is clear." Barely waiting for his affirmative nod, the scout commander took a cautious step downhill, then another.

_Beep – beep – beepbeepbeep!_

At the sound of the scanner's alarm, Riella instinctively dived to her left, rolling on her shoulder and landing in a crouch. There was no time to check that she'd gone the right way; with armed explosives, it was move or die. She had jumped just in time; the dirt where she had stood exploded, sending debris and energon flying as it caught one of the bodies.

Riella pushed herself to her feet, brushing off her plating with an expression of slight disgust. "You see, Mirage? This is why you must _always_ check before entering a situation."

"Right," Mirage muttered, obviously shaken by his mentor's close call. "So what now?"

The sleek blue femme scanned the area. "No more explosives in the immediate area. Join me, but – this is _crucial_ – step nowhere that I have not stepped first. Do you understand?"

Mirage took a slow step forward, matching her footprints. "Understood, ma'am."

The duo made their way carefully through the grotesque scene, optics darting nervously around in search of further danger. "Commander, did I tell you – "

"Unless it relates to the immediate mission, Mirage, not now." Riella, having quickly checked the ground around the nearest corpse, knelt beside it and rolled the broken figure over. "Mech. Far more degraded from corrosion, but showing definite torture signs. Autobot for sure. Mirage, check the one nearest you; scans say the ground is clear."

"Okay." Mirage winced as he cautiously brushed dirt away from the body he knelt by. "Uh, ma'am, it's a femme. Maybe…maybe you should – "

Riella twisted on one knee to look at him, understanding the problem. "'Raj," she said gently, using his nickname. "I know this won't be easy, but if you stay in Special Ops, you will see much worse than a femme torture victim." At his expression, she continued. "I know. I have encountered this type of situation before, and someday, you may have to handle one alone. I will help if you need it, but your task for now is a full analysis on her while I do the same for this mech. My best advice is to view it clinically, as only a job."

Mirage bit his lower lip component. "Yes, ma'am…" He turned away, but Riella could still sense his unease.

A moment later, his intakes cycled sharply. "She's not an Autobot."

"What?" Riella kept scanning the corpse in front of her. "A neutral? No surprise there, the Decepticons have been going after them for eons."

"Negative, unless neutrals have lately started wearing half-removed Decepticon symbols."

Riella twisted back to look. "Are you sure?"

Mirage gestured. "See? It looks like someone tried to remove it with something sharp." He shuddered slightly. "They didn't succeed completely, though; there's no color left, but it's still not the Autobot insignia."

"Hmm." Riella moved cautiously to his side. "Cause of death?"

"This." Mirage brushed the side of the femme's helm, which shifted at an odd angle. "Shattered backstrut, I think. But because of all the energon, I'm pretty sure most of these injuries were inflicted before death."

The blue femme studied the body for a moment. "Mirage, I think I will take this one after all. I believe I have an ID." She opened the vidcomm channel fastened to her wrist. "Riella to Melody."

The attractive white femme appeared onscreen. "Yes?"

"I want you to research the last sighting of the Decepticon scientist Gamma Ray. If I'm right about this…well, just get back to me ASAP."

Melody nodded. "Will do. Anything in particular I should check?"

Riella thought for a moment. "Location and occupation."

"Understood. Mel out."

The scout commander closed the comm and turned back to the corpse. "Same injuries as on the other bodies. I think it may be safe to assume they will _all_ show the same signs of torture."

"Do you think this is some sort of…dumping ground for Decepticon prisoners after…" Mirage stared at the femme's body.

Riella shrugged. "If so, I have no idea why here, why now. There are all recent, though; I would say the oldest is that mech, and his body cannot have been here for more than seven solar cycles. Probably, they were not found before because of the immediate threat." Her optics locked onto a dirt trail. "Mirage, look. Our femme was alive; she dragged herself to this place and then died." Taking slow, careful steps, she followed the track.

Mirage glanced briefly up at her and then stopped to take a closer look. Just beyond the trail, _something_ was shimmering. Just a trace, nothing more; but still, there was something right there in front of his mentor.

"RIELLA! Don't move!"

The femme froze in her tracks, not even turning. "What is it?"

"Right there, in front of you. There's something there." Mirage carefully made his way to her side. About two steps away from his original position, the shimmer disappeared. "It was right here. Like an invisibility field."

"Or something else." Riella knelt carefully and picked up a small rock. "Back away."

Mirage obeyed. Riella straightened up and studied the air in front of her. "Right here?"

"No more than an arm's-length away."

Riella calculated that for a moment, then tossed the rock. The air shimmered and pulsed as the rock disappeared.

"A portal of some kind." Riella shook her head. "Here, just outside Iacon. The Decepticons are getting bolder." She glimpsed something right at the base of the portal, in the softer ground. "Oh no…"

"What is it?" Mirage kept his distance.

Riella gestured. "Footprints. Prowl and Jazz were here…and this means we know why we lost contact."

"They went through…" her student breathed softly. "But…they have no idea – "

"What could be there, yes. I suspect it was an accident." Riella arched one optic ridge. "I would have done the same if you had not spotted it. Now we know where our torture victims came from." She made her way back toward the femme's body, shaking her head. "So, Gamma, was this your project? Did it go wrong?"

"Are you…talking to her?" Mirage's optics narrowed. "Are you alright?"

"I am fine, thank you." Riella turned away. "She cannot answer me out loud…but her body may answer my questions. We will bring her back to the command center with us."


	3. Game On

**Riella, Melody, and Gamma Ray are mine; I don't own anybody else! Also, this may help if you're confused about the chain of command (I messed with myself until I came up with this):**

**Jazz: Division #1 Commander**

**Prowl: Division #2 Commander**

**Riella: Division #3 Commander**

**Melody: Research specialist, trained under Prowl **

**Trailbreaker: Heavy-duty (e.g. long-distance trek with minimal stealth required) scout commander, trained with Jazz**

**Mirage: Riella's present trainee**

**Hound: Trailbreaker's present trainee**

**Warnings: Does CSI-type analysis bother you? Because there's a lot of it. **

**Game On**

Riella keyed in the code to the lab door and stepped in. "Signal Flare, any results yet?"

"There would have been _results_ a lot _faster_ if your young _assistant_ would just let _me_ do _my _job!" the autopsy technician snapped, his slight Kaon accent emphasized in frustration. "Do you have _any _idea how _difficult _it is to work with a _youngling_ hanging over your shoulder?" Behind him, Mirage shrugged and made a "why me?" gesture.

Riella was used to Signal Flare's irritability, and ignored it. "What did you find?"

The technician grumbled under his breath, but answered. "Just what you thought. ID's confirmed: Gamma Ray, Decepticon scientist from Tyger Pax."

"Yes?" Riella prodded, when he stopped there. "Go on. COD?"

"Shattered backstrut, also as you thought."

"Actually, that was Mirage's diagnosis," Riella pointed out, with a slight smile in his direction.

Signal Flare shrugged. "Okay, fine. But she would have died anyway. She was infected with the Try-Pax virus."

The scout commander took a closer look at the corpse. "Her own engineered virus. Passive transfer? Is there a contamination risk?"

"Nope." Signal Flare tipped Gamma Ray's head to the side and pointed to an almost invisible puncture mark. "Deliberate injection, probably specific to her energon signal. If there was a contamination problem, none of us would be in here."

"And that was intended to kill her." Riella nodded in understanding. "Mirage, opinions?"

Mirage blinked in surprise at being singled out, but responded without hesitation. "I think the broken backstrut was a last-minute resort. The Try-Pax was supposed to do the job, but for some reason they sped things up. You said she was alive when she came through the portal, right?"

"That was what the track indicated." Riella nodded slowly. "You think she made a run for it?"

Mirage shrugged. "I wondered. It would explain why she was killed before the virus could kick in."

"And it could explain the portal as well." Riella started pacing. "Suppose Gamma Ray was working on some kind of portal network – that type of work was her specialty, according to Mel's research. But something went wrong. Maybe she lost control of it, and Megatron found out. This was the result. She could have used the portal for an escape attempt."

"And the other bodies?" Signal Flare narrowed one optic skeptically.

"Well…" Riella sighed. "I honestly have no explanation. Yet. Possibly she hid the portal entrance in one of their…dumping grounds."

Mirage winced. "Ugh. Why _there_?"

"No one would look there," Signal Flare reasoned.

A knock on the door drew their attention, and Riella opened it to reveal a slender white and purple femme. "Melody, come in. Do you have any new information?"

"Yes, I do." Melody unsubspaced a datapad. "This is everything I could find on Gamma Ray. According to a report from one of Trailbreaker's team, she was sighted near Trypticon about half a lunar cycle ago. She disappeared fast and hasn't been seen or heard from since." She glanced briefly at the body. "At least, until now."

"Trypticon…" Riella narrowed her optics, considering. "That is the Decepticon capital. Why was one of our heavy-metal scouts anywhere in that area?"

Melody glanced at her notes. "According to this, he was one of the newest independent scouts and didn't realize just how far he had gone until he reported back, since the Decepticons don't have organized patrols. He was under Jazz's command at the time."

"So naturally, since he came back with no intelligence breaches and no injuries, Jazz told him not to do it again and 'forgot' to mention it." Riella shook her head. _Command differences…oh well. _"Who was it? Do I know him?"

Melody opened an image of a sturdy green mech; obviously still young, but full-grown nonetheless. "Hound."

"Hmm. I have not met him; probably one of Jazz's recruits. Call Trailbreaker, see if I can talk to both of them." Riella started toward the door. "He may have seen something important without realizing it. If Gamma Ray was last seen in Trypticon, then it would stand to reason that the other entrance to the portal is there."

"So…" Mirage followed her into the hallway. "Does this mean Prowl and Jazz are in Trypticon? Do we need to follow them there?"

"I do not know yet." Riella entered the small office she shared with Prowl, sighing slightly. "Sit down. I want you here during my discussion with Hound and Trailbreaker."

"Me? Uh, I mean, I'm coming!" Mirage obeyed rapidly.

Riella studied him with amusement. "Have you ever done this before?"

Mirage shook his head. "Never. So...if Prowl and Jazz really are in trouble, what are we going to do?"

"They _are_ in trouble," Riella said firmly. "And you will not be doing anything. I will."

Before her trainee could reply, Trailbreaker tapped on the doorframe. "You wanted to see Hound and I?"

"Yes, I did. Come in." Riella gestured to the chairs. "That was quick; were you in the area?"

Trailbreaker nodded. "Just next door in the command center, actually. We were dropping off another report when I got Mel's call. So this is about the Trypticon report?"

"Yes." Riella fixed Hound with a stern gaze. "You are aware that Trypticon is not on your usual patrol route?"

The green scout lowered his optics awkwardly. "I am now, ma'am. It was an accident; I promise it won't happen again."

"I am certain it will not." Riella held her glare for a moment longer before relaxing her expression. "However, this accident may have provided us with crucial information. You reported seeing Gamma Ray, the Decepticon scientist."

"Um…yes, ma'am." Hound glanced nervously at Trailbreaker. "At least, that's who we identified her as when I brought back the image."

"There was an image?" Riella leaned forward, gripping the edge of the desk. "Where is it now?"

Trailbreaker held out a data chip. "Jazz said it didn't need to be in the original report, but here's the whole thing."

"Thank you." Riella slid the chip into her datapad for later review. "Where were you exactly, Hound?"

"Uh…I don't know, ma'am. North of Trypticon, but that's all I can tell you for sure. It's a big area, and I'm not familiar with it, ma'am…"

"Please." Riella gestured irritably. "Stop with the 'ma'am'. You are not so far below me in rank that you have to address me with that every time you open your mouth. The image should give me that information. Is there anything you can tell me about Gamma Ray's activities at the time you saw her?"

Hound winced at the slight rebuke, but continued resolutely. "She was looking for something on the ground. She found it, but I couldn't see it clearly. Maybe a sample of some kind."

Riella's lips tightened. "I was afraid of that. Thank you both; that was all I wanted to know for now. Mirage?"

"Yes?" The young noble's optics darted between Trailbreaker and Riella, as if he wasn't quite sure who to answer to.

"Please take Hound and Trailbreaker down to the autopsy room. I want to make sure the femme we identified as Gamma Ray is the same one Hound saw. I will examine this image."

"Yes, ma'am." Mirage stood up and gestured for the two trackers to follow him. "Um…this way."

After the door closed, Hound glanced at the younger trainee with curiosity. "You called her ma'am, even though she told me to stop."

"She told you to stop saying it every time you talked to her." Mirage led the way down the hall. "It's still polite to say it when responding to an order. She just doesn't like hearing it all the time."

Hound nodded, clearly trying to file that information away. "How long have you worked with her?"

"A couple of vorns." Mirage shrugged. "She's good. If anyone is going to solve what's going on here, she can."

Back in her office, Riella carefully magnified the image so that she could see the building beyond the wall. It was blurred, but there was enough definition to give her the information she wanted.

"Trypticon Fortress." The femme's lips curved into a cold smirk. "Well, now that I know where you came from. Game on, scientist. May the best Autobot win."


	4. Mission Iceheart

**Riella/Iceheart, Melody, and Gamma are my OCs. The others are canon. **

**For maximum effect during the armor-up sequence, listen to the Buffy the Vampire Slayer theme. It makes it infinitely cooler. ;) **

**Mission Iceheart**

Riella scanned the briefing room one last time to make sure everyone she needed was present. Yes, they were; Mirage was seated off to her left, Melody two seats down on the right, a disgruntled Signal Flare beside her and Trailbreaker beside him, and Hound beside Mirage. Elita One sat at the far end of the table; as the femme commander and Optimus Prime's sparkmate, she was there to ensure that the mission met with command approval.

Satisfied, Riella rose and tapped lightly on the table, getting everyone's attention before speaking. "Thank you for coming on short notice, everyone, especially Elita. I will not bore you with details that you already know; suffice to say, Prowl and Jazz are currently MIA, and I have evidence that suggests they are in northern Trypticon, possibly in the Decepticon command center itself." She waited to see the reaction; other than a slight murmur, there were no interruptions of shock. Elita, Signal Flare, and Trailbreaker had probably already drawn the same conclusion, and the younger three were too polite to interrupt. "Are there any questions? Other than 'what are your plans?'; I will tell you that without any questions needed."

Hound raised a hesitant hand. "Do you think they've been captured?"

"Yes, I do." Riella rested her hands on the table in front of her. "It is entirely possible that they are still free, but I believe they would have called in or otherwise attempted to inform us had they been able."

Elita nodded. "What are the chances that they will be interrogated? And assuming that they will, is there a possibility of a security risk?"

Riella bit her lower lip. Of course, her oldest friend asked the most difficult questions. "Excellent, and no. They would be easily recognized as Autobot leadership and therefore worth questioning, but I know both of them will die before giving any answers. They are…equipped with the means to do so, should it be required. Anything else?" At the negative response, she continued. "Clearly, we must at least locate them, and I believe I have the means to do so. All of you except Elita will be required to make it work, however." Her optics locked directly with each of the others' before continuing. "I intend to continue Mission Iceheart."

This time, Signal Flare interrupted. "You can't be serious! Iceheart missions were discontinued because of the danger level, and this one would require _walking directly into the Decepticon headquarters!_ You might as well stand in front of a firing squad!"

"Thank you for that vote of confidence," Riella said dryly. "Anyone else care to protest?"

"Not a protest, but…" Hound looked around awkwardly. "Am I the only one who doesn't know what an Iceheart mission is?"

Mirage shook his head. "I'm not sure either. I've heard of them, but they were discontinued before I started working Special Ops. My understanding is that there's someone named Iceheart that generally works deep-cover infiltrations. Never seen her, met her, or even heard of her other than in passing."

"Close." Riella nodded to him. "Yes, she is a deep-cover agent, but she does not actually exist. 'Iceheart' is my alter ego, a Decepticon scientist working under Flatline. Do you remember when the Try-Pax vaccine was developed? That was the first Iceheart mission; I worked with Gamma Ray for a full lunar cycle to find out the information we needed. Since then, there have been three others, all long missions, all involving biotechnology, and all high-risk. I intend to resume that alter ego one more time to find Prowl, Jazz, and the other end of the portal network. Assuming Elita gives permission."

Elita sighed and shook her head. "I don't like it…but it may be the only way. Riella, I know you understand the risks; are you confident that the goal is worth it?"

Riella squared her shoulders. "I am."

"Then you have my permission." Elita turned to the others. "Trailbreaker and Signal Flare have already participated in these missions, but I will inform Mirage, Hound, and Melody; you will be required to accompany Riella to Trypticon, although not inside. The five of you are her backup team. Should she call you in, you are required to do whatever she tells you. It may make the difference between life and death. Is that clear?"

"Yes, ma'am," all three murmured. Mirage turned toward his mentor. "What would those orders – Riella?"

The blue femme was already gone. Trailbreaker sighed. "And it begins. You won't recognize her when she comes back."

In the room behind her office, Riella keyed in the code to the subspace closet, retrieving each item she would need. She laid them out carefully on the bunk and focused on her processor routine, optics narrowing to slits as it locked in.

_I am no longer Riella, Autobot scout commander._

Her paint job shimmered and shifted to electronic ice-blue.

_I am stronger than any mere Autobot._

Silvery claws sprang free from her fingertips, lengthening and sharpening.

_I care nothing for the Decepticons. I care only for myself._

Her leg armor streamlined under the added black thigh covers.

_My research is my only priority. I will do anything to achieve my goal._

Both heel struts extended into twin silver spines. Her vocalizer rumbled at an octave lower than usual.

_I answer only to Flatline and myself. Others are only tools._

Her shoulder blades folded down, forming a narrow fin on her back.

_Emotions are irrelevant. No one will stop me with such trifles._

One narrowed optic flashed red. The other disappeared under a blue magnifying lens. Long, narrow knives sprang free from her wrists, edges glowing blue with ice.

_I. Am. Iceheart._

* * *

Prowl's backstrut arched and bent inward as he screamed through gritted dentas. The probe retracted from his shoulder joint as his tormenter – Thunderwing, Prowl thought his name was - chuckled with satisfaction.

"You're not so tough now, Autobot. You'll break."

His jaw clenched with pain. "Never…I'll never tell you anything!" Except that he had no idea how they'd gotten here. That just frustrated his tormentor, but it was a small victory.

"Oh, you will," the Decepticon purred. "Or your companion will. Isn't that right, Jazz?"

Jazz glared at him even as he gasped in pain from the acid seeping into his circuitry. "Go…eat…bolts…slaghead!"

Thunderwing laughed and increased the acid temperature. "Why would I hurt myself…" Jazz's scream echoed around the room as the acid reached an earlier wound. "…when I can hurt you?"

Prowl's head slumped forward. _Someone. Find us. _

_Please. _

**Bonus points if you know which comic Thunderwing is from! Also, anyone who manages to guess who Riella's alter-ego is based on (right down to the name! No, I'm not as creative as I wish…) gets my lasting respect. Hint: think Star Wars Expanded Universe. **


	5. Trypticon Infiltration

**No guesses for who the alter-ego is based on? I'll give it another chapter. ;) Lynn Jones gets points for Thunderwing, though!**

**Riella/Iceheart, Mel, and Gamma belong to me; everyone else so far is canon.**

**Trypticon Infiltration**

Mirage tapped irritably on the table. "When is she coming back?"

Trailbreaker shook his head, leaning back in the chair. "I keep telling you, kid. If you recognize the femme that walks in here, she's changed her mind about the infiltration." He took a sip of his energon cube.

"So…this Iceheart persona…she's different?" Hound glanced at Signal Flare, who pointedly turned away. "How does Riella change that much?"

Melody shrugged. "From what I know, 'Iceheart' is essentially a set of mods and really good acting. It could be something else."

"Has Elita ever seen her?" Mirage glanced at the empty chair where the femme commander had been. Signal Flare shook his head with a grunt.

"Nope. Need-to-know. She has a description, in case we need to pull her out, and that's it."

"As it should be," a deep Kaon-accented voice purred from the doorway. Mirage turned in surprise and almost fell out of his chair.

The femme standing in the doorway was tall and thin, with a full-body ice blue paintjob, wicked-looking heel spikes, and a narrow back fin, but what really caught his attention was the optics. The left one glowed dark red, and was narrowed calculatingly; the right was completely covered by a deep blue magnifying lens.

"What are you looking at, _youngling?_" the femme growled, voice dropping to a quiet, dangerous tone. Her optics practically pinned Mirage to the chair; getting up didn't seem plausible at this point.

"Uh…n-nothing…Iceheart?" The last part was a question, a need to reassure himself that his mentor was still under that outer shell and harsh voice. He was disappointed; Iceheart didn't even react to the use of her name.

"I thought as much," she smirked, turning to fix each of the others with that glare. "You will escort me to the Trypticon outskirts and wait undercover for my entry. Is that clear?"

"Yes, ma'am," Trailbreaker replied, totally unfazed. Of course, he knew her. "Any plans once you get in?"

Her optics flared. "Of course."

"I'll take that as 'no, I'm making this up as I go'," Signal Flare grumbled.

Iceheart firmly ignored him, spinning toward the door. "We leave immediately. You will collect supplies on the way out. Move."

Everyone scrambled to obey. Mirage noted that both Hound and Melody had wide optics; maybe they were as unsure about this as he was. The young noblemech managed to fall in just behind Iceheart on the walk down the hall, feeling the concern in his gut rising closer to the surface. This was more than just acting; there was something dark and incredibly unsettling about this femme, and he didn't like her at all.

"Riella?" he whispered, trying not to look at her optics too closely.

"It's me." The voice was Riella's normal one, and Mirage almost sagged with relief as she continued. "I'm doing this because I have to stay in character or I may make a mistake when it really counts. Trust me, I'm still here under all the mods."

Mirage kept his optics straight ahead, not really wanting to see Iceheart when he was talking to Riella. "This is messing with my processor."

"You're not the only one." The Kaon accent and deeper pitch were rapidly returning. "Trust me, this is not an easy role to play. I must remain in character at all times, or this entire mission will fail."

* * *

Prowl's optics flickered erratically as he tried to reorient himself. He was kneeling on the floor, arms pulled harshly behind him and forcing him to bend forward to keep from dislocating his shoulders. "Ohh…" A groan tore from his throat as he tried to move and sent pain shocking through every joint.

"Welcome back," Jazz rasped from the far side of the cell, where he was restrained in the same position. "Wouldn't advise pulling on those cuffs. You'll only get hurt. It won't do any good even if you do get them off."

Prowl's optics had cleared enough to allow him to see the force-field dividing the torture room in half, trapping the two of them on the opposite side from the door. "Slag. Ideas?"

"Wait until they take us out again, then make a break for it," Jazz tried to shrug, and winced. "Well, that or rip our arms off and then get zapped by a force-field."

"There has to be a way out," Prowl muttered, trying not to move. "We just need to find it, before R- before anyone else ends up here."

Jazz's bloodied lips curved in an awkward smile. "You can say her name, y'know. It's okay to worry about your mate. I'm sure she won't do anything stupid."

Prowl clenched his jaw, ignoring the pain. "I have to block the bond. So they can't reach her through me. But I can't tell anything from her end. Not if she's safe, not if she's scared, not even if she's hurt…"

"I know." Jazz nodded and shifted in an effort to find a more comfortable position. "You'll see her again. I know you will."

* * *

Trypticon's massive walls blocked the sky for miles. Hound's optics widened as he stared at the solid dark metal. "We're going in _there_?"

"You are not." Iceheart stalked past him, ignoring the nervous glance he shot in her direction. "You will take cover where Trailbreaker tells you to, and you will wait for my comm call."

Signal Flare caught up with her and grabbed her arm. "Riella, you watch your back in there. You hear me? I don't care how foolproof your disguise is. Don't get on anybot's bad side."

Iceheart's lipplates curved in a smile that _almost_ made her look like Riella again. "I will not," she growled softly. "Keep them safe." Spinning on one high heel, she turned and sprinted toward Trypticon. Mirage watched her until she was out of sight, murmuring under his breath. "Stay safe, Iceheart, and Riella too."

The ice-blue femme halted once she was well away from her backup team. Checking to be sure no one was looking, she knelt beside the wall. _Gamma Ray was here, and disappeared,_ she reasoned. _She was so blasted paranoid, it stands to reason she would have had a back-up entrance to her lab. _Carefully, her long fingers pried at the ground. _Ah-ha. I know your methods, Gamma. _A panel slid open, revealing a narrow shaft leading straight down.

Iceheart smirked coldly. _No fear now. No feeling at all. _She dropped into the shaft, gripping the panel and pulling it back into place. As soon as it was where it needed to be, she let her fingers slide free and fell into the darkness.

_Let the game begin._


	6. The Sparkling

**Riella/Iceheart and Gamma Ray belong to me; everyone else so far is canon. Also, I apologize in advance if the Riella/Iceheart dynamic is confusing to anyone. I did my best to clarify a little bit in this chapter, and the next chapter will have more information. **

**Answer to the last trivia question: Iceheart is based on the Star Wars EU character Ysanne "Iceheart" Isard. Her personality inspired a lot of this Iceheart's, as well as providing a physical appearance. **

**New question: Which continuity and episode is "Darkmount Pass" originally from? **

**The Sparkling**

Iceheart hit the floor at the bottom of the tunnel on her feet, allowing her knees to take the strain of the landing. As she straightened up, florescent white lights activated, revealing a long passageway with a closed door at the end.

Running a scan to make sure she wasn't being watched, Iceheart strode down the tunnel confidently. The keypad on the door was simple to hack, and a moment later she was inside the Trypticon lab.

_Minimal security in here. Gamma was so paranoid, she didn't want guards or security cameras. _Iceheart glided down the hallway, spiked heels clicking on the white floor. The lab was cleaner than most triage facilities. _Of course, that makes sense. It's a biocontainment lab. _Touching one finger to her comlink, she called Trailbreaker's frequency. "I'm in. No resistance. Iceheart out."

The end of the hall opened into two doors, one on the right and one straight ahead. The door on the right was ajar, so the femme nudged it a bit further open with one foot to look inside. All she could see was a blank wall, but a soft squeaking inside indicated there was more. Squaring her shoulders, Iceheart pushed open the door all the way open and stepped in.

* * *

Mirage stared nervously up at the walls. "Are you sure she's okay?"

"She'd comm if she wasn't, kid," Signal Flare growled. "Relax and sit down."

The younger mech sat down nervously. "Riella would call. Iceheart…"

"She'd call too." The medic shook his head. "Kid, Iceheart is still Riella. She just…well, she changed after the battle at Darkmount Pass."

"What do you mean?" Hound had apparently sensed something interesting going on, because he settled down next to Mirage with an expectant look on his face. "What happened?"

Signal Flare sighed. "Darkmount Pass was a rough battle. We lost a lot of good 'bots there. She was injured, and when Ratchet examined her, they found out she was carrying…or at least, she had been."

"Primus," Mirage muttered. "She lost a sparkling?"

"When she didn't even know she had one." Trailbreaker nodded sadly. "That's when Iceheart first showed up. It might have been a way to take out her anger at the 'Cons, maybe it was just a way to marginalize the hurt; we don't know."

"What we do know," Signal Flare finished, "is that Iceheart is nowhere near as dangerous to Autobots as she pretends, although I don't advise hassling her unnecessarily. That would be why we're not bugging her."

Mirage exchanged a nervous glance with Hound. "Is she…"

"Psychotic?" Trailbreaker shrugged. "Not that I've ever seen."

* * *

Iceheart studied her surroundings, listening for the sounds that had drawn her through the door. The room was a basic lab, with testing equipment and microscopes neatly arranged around the outside walls, but a heavy-duty sterile container with an open top was the source of the squeaking sounds. Calmly but carefully, she leaned over the edge of the container to get a look at the contents. The instant she got a good look, Riella's personality flared up so strongly that she might as well not have been wearing a disguise.

A tiny yellow sparkling was curled up inside, blue optics half-online. Miniscule panels that would probably be doorwings someday were curled pitifully over his (at least, she was pretty sure it was a mech) shoulders. When he saw her, his optics opened wide and his mouth opened in a soft wail.

"Shh, shh…" Riella patted the sparkling's back gently, afraid to do more. "It's okay, little one. I won't hurt you."

Sounds from the hall indicated that the sparkling's crying had attracted someone's attention. With another quick, comforting murmur, Riella ducked away from the container and spun to face the door, forcing herself to return to the Iceheart persona.

A burly blue and gold Seeker slammed the door open, yelling in a harsh Trypticon accent. "Shut up, you little – what in the Pit?"

Iceheart had instinctively stepped between the Seeker and the sparkling. Squaring her shoulders, she snapped, "What is this? I come here expecting a lab in which to work, and I receive _this_? Who are you?'

Just as she had hoped, the aggressive approach had stopped the Seeker in his tracks. Clearly unaccustomed to such treatment, he faltered for a second before barking, "I'm Thunderwing, placed in charge of this facility by Commander Starscream! Who do you think you are?"

"Iceheart," she snapped. "I train under Flatline, and he sent me here to pick up where Gamma Ray left off. Who do you think _you_ are?"

The name Flatline got his attention, as she had known it would. Megatron's pet mad scientist wasn't personally known to most Decepticons, but they all knew his name. Thunderwing paled visibly. "Uh…this was Gamma Ray's backup lab. I'll take you down the hall to the other lab, but it's…um…occupied."

"Would that be with the Autobot prisoners?" At his shocked look, Iceheart smirked. "You didn't _really _think you could keep them a secret, did you? Do as I say, and maybe Lord Megatron will not hear about this."

"R-right!" Thunderwing, completely cowed, opened the door. "This way."

Iceheart forced herself – and Riella – to look straight ahead and not back at the sparkling, who had gone quiet the moment Thunderwing entered. _Tonight. We'll come back tonight. _


	7. Torture Chamber

**If you can't find them on the TF Wiki, they're mine. Also, a quick warning: this chapter contains torture and some really nasty implications. Sorry Prowl, Jazz, and sparkling (and no, I'm not telling you who it is if you didn't already guess). **

**Answer to the last trivia question: Darkmount Pass is mentioned in Transformers Prime episode "Con Job". Bulkhead uses it to spot a traitor. Lynn Jones gets energon cookies for guessing it was from Prime. :) **

**Torture Chamber**

Iceheart followed Thunderwing through the other door into what must have been the main part of the lab. The lights were brighter, and there were several doors along each wall. Thunderwing stopped at the third one on the right and keyed in a code, which Iceheart quickly memorized. Just in case.

"I've been keeping the Autobot prisoners through here. I'm aware it's not the most secure facility – " He shrugged apologetically in her direction. "But I felt the lab would be a good place to have them if I needed more _incentive_ for them to talk." His smirk made her feel sick.

"I see." Iceheart studied the equipment along the walls. "And this is where Gamma worked on her portal project."

"That's right, although we don't know where it is." Thunderwing nodded to the door on the left. "That would be where she left the results of her test subjects."

_Test subjects? That explains the bodies. This portal must require _massive_ amounts of energy. And one was still alive? Oh Primus. _"Where were these 'test subjects' from? I may require more."

Thunderwing sighed a little. "Well, that's the problem. She went through them fast. They were all prisoners who had no information. I can't let you have these two, though...and even if I did, it wouldn't work."

_As if I would._ Iceheart winced at the sense Riella was getting from the bond. _I know, I know. _"Why not?"

"Gamma Ray determined that adult test subjects don't seem to work well. What you need is something young, with higher immediate energy."

Iceheart had to stop herself from reacting visibly to the implications. "The sparkling."

"That's right." Thunderwing looked _proud_. "We got him after the Seekers took Helix. The only problem is I don't think we can sustain him for long. He doesn't seem able to keep down energon."

"Well, of _course_ he can't!" Iceheart snapped, fury rising in her throat as Riella's spark constricted. "A sparkling that young still needs preprocessed energon, preferably direct from his creator's feeding lines. Everyone knows that."

Thunderwing winced at her tone. "I – I don't – "

"Never mind. I'll find a solution." She crushed the fury relentlessly. "Now, the prisoners. And you had better hope you don't disappoint me with your lack of ability a third time."

Almost cowering, Thunderwing turned toward the door on the far side of the lab. "Right away."

* * *

After hours of fighting it, Prowl had finally slipped into a shallow recharge. The stasis cuffs clicked as the tactician stirred restlessly.

_Riella waves and turns to leave the safety of Praxus's walls… "I'll be fine, don't worry about me. You've got the hard job, dealing with 'I can't rest, I have things to do' Jazz …"_

_He laughs, she's right, she's not going far and she's got all the backup she could ever need. It's overkill for such a small 'Con patrol; he'll see her in a few hours, why can't he remember where exactly she's going? _

_An hour, then two hours, then three, something's not right, wasn't it longer? Did this happen before? … Then the message comes in, it was an ambush and most of the team is down…no word on Riella's condition but that's normal if she's okay but didn't she send it last time?…but he's still going, because something is wrong, very very wrong…_

_It was a massacre, there's bodies everywhere but shouldn't there be more energon? And the fog is wrong too…and then he knows he's dreaming and he knows where this is and he knows what Ratchet will find and he has to stop it but he can't…_

_His mate's body is twisted and broken…crumpled over another dead soldier, younger than she is, so young, she tried to protect him, of course she did…and he's screaming her name and shaking her, she's got to be just tired, she can't be dead, no wait this is wrong, he shouldn't be doing this, he knows better…then a medic, shouldn't it be Signal Flare? It was, wasn't it? but it's not, and he's being dragged away from Riella…Ratchet's yelling at him but the words don't make sense…_

_The medbay, quiet, no one there except him, and her, and Ratchet, and the medic is talking to them but it's all wrong, he didn't tell them in the medbay, this isn't how it happened… "I'm so sorry…we did everything we could, but the new spark was extinguished the minute she was hit, we had to save her…" And he can't take it in but she already did, something's changing, this is wrong, she didn't do this in front of Ratchet, did it even happen? She's not crying, not screaming, nothing, and then her optics are changing, they're fading out, they're losing her too, that's why they didn't tell her in the medbay, she wasn't strong enough, she's dying, but her spark is getting stronger, she's so angry, if she doesn't die someone else will, she'll kill them, this isn't right, it has to be a dream, wake up, wake up… "RIELLA!" _

Prowl's optics flared as the shock jolted him back to consciousness. His injuries throbbed as he struggled to reorient himself, vents working frantically in an effort to slow his racing spark. Jazz stared at him from the other side of the cell.

"Hey, you okay, mech?"

"Yeah. Fine." Prowl slumped forward, wincing at the pressure on his shoulders. Something wasn't right. That fury he'd sensed from Riella's spark was still there, quieter but no less fierce. _She's in Iacon. The bond is still blocked. It was just a dream. She's fine. _

Then the door slid open, and entering the room behind the Seeker was the one femme on the entire planet he'd hoped never to see again.

_Oh Riella. No. Not like this. You promised. No more Iceheart missions. _

* * *

It didn't take a medic to recognize the types of injuries the two Autobots had sustained. Besides the very visible dents, gashes, and energon stains, both showed signs of acid corrosion and damaged joints. The occasional uncontrollable twitch from Jazz indicated that some kind of high-level energy pulse had been used at least once to disorient his nervous system.

Even Iceheart had trouble keeping her tone level. If Riella had been in control, there wouldn't have been much left of Thunderwing. "Was all this really necessary?"

"You'd be surprised at these two," Thunderwing shrugged. "So far, even with this, I've got nothing except defiance out of them. It's only been a couple of days, though; I've still got more than enough left – not to mention an extra weapon no Autobot can fight. They'll talk."

"Sure we will," Jazz rasped, glaring at him from behind a cracked visor. "Right after I watch your spark chamber get ripped out."

Thunderwing smirked and pressed a button on the nearest console. Prowl's optics whited out and he failed to smother a scream as the energy pulse tore through his frame, sending him into uncontrollable convulsions against the stasis cuffs. "You'd enjoy watching that, wouldn't you? Unfortunately, you'll just have to settle for watching your friend here."

Iceheart's fists clenched and unclenched as she fought the urge to slam the mech into the wall and _shred_ him. "I believe you have _this_, at least, handled. I will leave you to it." She forced herself not to look at Prowl's still-thrashing frame. "Once I have dealt with the results of your incompetence in other areas, I will return and we will discuss what should be done."

"Understood." Thunderwing turned back to the console as Iceheart left the room.

The moment they were out of the lab and heading back toward the room with the sparkling, Riella's personality took over once more. The long claws on her fingertips shot free and raked a deep furrow into the wall as the femme hissed.

"You will _pay_ for every moment they were in there, Seeker, and every moment you kept that sparkling here. That's not a threat. It's a promise."


	8. Escalation

**I own Riella/Iceheart, Mel, and Gamma Ray. Also, Bumblebee's origin story isn't based in canon.**

**Yes, the term 'legal assassin' is a blatant reference to "Repo! The Genetic Opera". No, I don't own it. **

**Escalation**

Melody's slender fingers tapped nervously against one of the rocks surrounding her guard post as she scanned the area surrounding their makeshift campsite. Nothing, although since they had pulled back from Trypticon overnight, the odds of anyone spotting them were much lower.

"C'mon, Riella," she muttered. "Hurry."

"Hey, you okay?"

She jumped and turned to see Trailbreaker watching her. "Oh! Um, yes, sir. Fine. Just a little on edge. This isn't what I'm trained for."

"I know." The older mech nodded. "First time in the field?"

Melody shook her head. "I've been out a few times, but never anything this intense. I wasn't assigned to Riella until after the last Iceheart mission, and if possible I like to serve as mission control. Why?"

"I just wondered…" Trailbreaker shrugged. "After Darkmount Pass, she's shown a lot of reluctance to bring inexperienced 'bots into combat situations. I was surprised she allowed you younglings to come, but I suppose she could see the benefits."

"She likes to work alone. I can understand it," Melody said defensively. "After all, she lost a lot."

"Mm-hmm." The scout settled down onto a nearby rock. "But even the Intel Division's legal assassin has to admit that she can't always get what she wants."

Melody frowned and arched an optic ridge. "'Legal assassin'? Isn't that a little harsh?"

"Nope. That's exactly what Iceheart is." Trailbreaker glanced in the direction of Trypticon, which was still slightly visible. "Her assignment may just be 'Find the portal and rescue the mechs', but do you really think anyone's going to comment if she plants a well-deserved blade in the back of whoever's holding them? You don't have to like it, but it's who she is, for now."

* * *

Riella poked her head out of the small room Thunderwing had given her and scanned the area quickly. The Seeker was probably still trying to extract some kind of information from Jazz and Prowl – _Primus, _the thought alone was enough to make her cats-claw modification activate in fury – but it did mean that she was free to go to the sparkling without the possibility of interference.

If it hadn't been for the sparkling and the missing portal, she would have simply killed Thunderwing, freed the two Autobots, and left with no one the wiser. But after learning that Gamma Ray had been using living 'bots to power the portal, and had planned the same thing for the sparkling, it was too much of a risk. He might be remotely connected to the portal, and who knew what kind of damage that would do?

She ducked into the small lab and shut down her optic modifications. Young as the sparkling was, he probably already associated scanners and red optics with 'not good'.

Wide baby-blue optics stared up at Riella as she leaned over the white container. When she picked the sparkling up, he started whimpering softly and wriggling away from her.

"Shh, little one, shh," the femme cooed quickly. "Shh. Shh. It's alright." Cradling him carefully against her chest, she settled down with her back to the wall and unsubspaced a small cube of energon. Hopefully, the half-hour she had spent processing it with a jury-rigged cooler would be enough.

The sparkling's whimpering stopped as soon as the cube touched his lip components. A moment later, he was suckling desperately at the small hole in the corner of the cube, optics flickering happily. Riella stroked the back of his head soothingly with a slight smile.

_What if I hadn't gone on that mission? Would I be at home doing this with my own sparkling? _

The thought was so sudden that a tear spilled over before Riella could stop it, followed by another, then another. She tightened her hold on the sparkling in her arms, closing her optics for a moment. _No. No. I can't think like that. Prowl and Jazz need me. This little one needs me. I can't break down now. _

Having finished his energon, the sparkling looked up at her and flicked his tiny doorwings, squeaking contentedly. The femme brushed away the moisture on her cheeks quickly, patting the sparkling's head. "You need a name, kiddo. I can't just keep calling you 'the sparkling'." She studied him for a moment. "Hmm…you look like a little metal bee. That's what I'll call you. Bumblebee."

Bumblebee cooed sleepily and played with his fingers. Half-smiling, Riella gently replaced him in the container. "I wish I could take you with me right now, but someone would catch on. I promise, I'll come back as soon as I can."

Replacing her mods, Riella closed her optics for a long moment. When the door slid open, Iceheart stepped cautiously into the hall and returned to her room. Just a few hours of rest, then she would start the search for that portal.

* * *

Prowl tried not to twitch against the restraints, optics closed so he wouldn't have to watch any more. Thunderwing's voice grated unpleasantly close to his audio.

"Had enough yet, Autobot?"

"I'm….not…talking….to…a….Con," Prowl muttered, wincing as even that slight movement caused his lip to start dripping energon again.

Thunderwing laughed. Prowl heard his footsteps across the chamber.

"Oh, you will, Autobot. When it's not _your _life on the line, you'll become much more talkative."

"Don't…think so," Jazz growled from somewhere to his left. "You…already…tried."

The Seeker's grim chuckle made Prowl tense. "Oh yes, you're so willing to sacrifice each other. But what about _him?_"

Prowl didn't look up, he didn't want to know…and then the sound reached his audios.

A sparkling's wail.

_No! Oh, Primus, no! I can't make this choice!_

Desperation forced him to do the one thing he hadn't wanted to do. Well, one of many things, but one that he wanted least of all…

_RIELLA! _


	9. Ground Zero

**Before reading any further, watch the Wolverine vs. Lady Deathstrike scene from X-Men 2. If you can't get the movie, the clip is on YouTube. At least find a picture of her; Riella/Iceheart's 'cat's claw' modification is based on Deathstrike's fingernails.**

**Ground Zero**

Iceheart snapped out of recharge and into Riella's persona instantly, fully alert. _Prowl! What's wrong? _Her heels screeched against the floor as she dashed out of the room, optics narrowed with fury.

"_Hurry, it's not me, I don't know where the sparkling came from but – " _

_SPARKLING? _Riella's optics flashed with rage. _I'm going to fragging KILL HIM! _

* * *

Mirage jumped as the comlink opened with a squawk of static, followed by Riella's yelling. ::Plan change! I need every one of you in here with every slaggin' explosive we've got and I need it now! We're short on time as it is, so get your afts in here stat!::

Trailbreaker was already on his feet. "Melody, bring up a map of our location, I want to know how she got in there. Hound, full inventory of our explosives, if we have to blow our way in I don't want to kill anyone. Mirage, you're with me, we're going to check the wall for any possible way you could get in. Signal Flare – "

"I know," the medic snapped, kit already in hand. "The day you have to tell _me_ how to do _my_ job is the day you can have it."

Trailbreaker just barely sighed. "Mirage, let's roll. You heard Riella: we're on a tight timeline."

* * *

Thunderwing, one servo practically crushing the crying sparkling, laughed at the Autobots' horrified expressions. "Not so tough now, are you? So who'd like to talk first?"

Riella was nowhere to be seen, and Prowl could feel panic rising. He twisted against the stasis cuffs, but only received a sharp shock through both wrists. "Leave him alone!"

"Make me," Thunderwing sneered. "Oh that's right, the only way you're going to do that is by talking!"

Prowl wrenched against the cuffs again and thought he felt a slight yield in the left one. Jazz, across the room, snapped, "Prowl, don't. DON'T, do you hear me? Keep your vocalizer shut!"

"Stop it!" _Riella, where are you?_

"Let's see now, how to start this?" Thunderwing studied the sparkling with a smirk. "I'm gonna count to five. One, two, thr-"

The door smashed open and Iceheart slammed into Thunderwing's back, hurling both of them across the room. The sparkling flew from the Seeker's hands and tumbled toward the floor.

"Nooo-owww!" Prowl lunged toward the falling sparkling and felt a sickening snap as his left shoulder shattered. His right wrist snapped free of the cuffs, allowing him to catch the sparkling and roll onto his back with a groan.

The color chip shattered as Iceheart's head hit the wall, sending dark-blue cracks through her light blue outer shell. Thunderwing kicked out blindly, smashing the femme's face against the wall and shattering the magnifying lens. Growling, he shoved the stunned femme away and struggled to his feet, glaring down at Prowl.

"I should have known something was wrong. I'll start with you then!"

An audio-splitting yowl echoed through the room. Thunderwing spun just in time to catch every one of the claws on Iceheart's left hand through the top of his wing.

"Auggghhhh…" He doubled over, jerking backward and pulling away. "You little _bitch!_"

Iceheart narrowed her red optics with a snarl. "Mistake number one: capturing an Autobot with a mate. Mistake number two: torturing him. But you still might have lived through those, if you had the sense to leave it at that. Autobot, you know; needs of the many outweigh the few and all that. But you made mistake number _three_. You threatened a sparkling. And as far as I'm concerned…" She raised both hands slowly, razor-sharp claws clicking against each other as her fingers extended. "When it comes to sparklings, _all bets are off!_"

Her right servo raked across his chestplate as she spun, slicing through his other wing on the backswing. As the Seeker screeched in pain, she locked her claws into his shoulders and hurled him through the shattered door to slam into the far wall of the lab.

Prowl struggled to roll over, yelping as his broken shoulder protested. "Ohhh Primus, slag that hurts. It's okay, kid, you're gonna be fine…"

Thunderwing's screeching redoubled, followed by crashing and snarling from Iceheart. Jazz winced. "I…think I know…what she just shredded…"

"EEEEYAHH…AHHH!" The agonized screaming began to crackle with static, then rose to a pitch not even Starscream could have hit before everything went totally silent.

Iceheart stalked back through the door, optics flickering to blue as Riella shifted into control. She wiped streaks of energon off her face before kneeling and taking the sparkling in one arm. "Hush, little one, it's me. Prowl, can you get up?"

"Not…really." Prowl's optics widened at the amount of energon splattering her frame. "Are you hurt?"

Riella slid one arm under his good shoulder and helped him into a sitting position. "It's not mine. Jazz, hang in there, I'll be right with you."

"Not going anywhere," Jazz rasped with a slight grin. "Just…keep the kid a little quieter…okay? My processor hurts…"

The sparkling had stopped screaming once Riella had taken him, but was still whimpering slightly. The femme gently set him in Prowl's good arm. "Here. He'll be fine."

Jazz winced as one stained claw sliced through the cuffs, allowing him to settle forward. "Nice…timing. How are we… gonna get out of here?"

* * *

The comm line crackled urgently. ::_Trailbreaker!_ What's keeping you? I'm assuming the 'Con called for backup, so get a move on!::

"We're coming," Trailbreaker replied calmly. "Mirage, Hound, and I are in the tunnel. How far into the base are you?"

::Apparently further than you are. Second lab you come to. Hurry it up.::

Mirage sighed and pushed past Hound. "Do I even want to know what the emergency is at this point?"

"Probably not yet." Trailbreaker fiddled with the door lock for a moment before kicking the door in. An alarm wailed.

::What are you _doing?_::

"Nothing…just stay put, okay?"

Mirage poked his head through the other door. "Nope. Not here."

"She said the second lab, moron," Hound pointed out sarcastically, following Trailbreaker through the shattered door. "That would be _this_ one."

"…Shut up."

"Alright, you two," Trailbreaker said warningly. "This is serious. I'll watch the hall. There are no Decepticon signals inside, so move in."

"Moving in!" Hound pushed the partially broken door out of his way and froze, optics wide. "Oh, Primus…" He swallowed convulsively. "Mirage…you might wanna move, because I think I'm going to be sick."

Mirage rolled his optics. "Seriously? It can't be that bad. What is it?"

One look over the younger mech's shoulder told him. Energon splattered the floor, the ceiling, and all four walls. Narrow shreds of metal were caught in deep gouges along the walls, and the remnants of what had once been a Decepticon was crumpled against the far wall. It wasn't even possible to tell if it had been a mech or a femme.

The blue and white mech gagged slightly. "Okay…it is that bad."

A pointed huff caught their attention. Riella was standing in the center of a jagged hole in the wall, frame battered and streaked with energon. A tiny yellow sparkling was cuddled against her chest. Both younger mechs stared in shock.

"_If_ you're finished gawking," she snapped, "there are two badly injured mechs in here who need your help."

"Right." Hound eyed the sparkling nervously. "Where'd he come from?"

Riella sighed and glared at him. "Bumblebee was here when I arrived, no, we're not leaving him, and yes, I'm going to take care of him, now move it!"

Mirage stifled a smile at the ferocity of her expression. _They do say not to mess with a mother cat…_ He caught a glimpse of the offlined frame again and shuddered. _I would guess that…thing…did._


	10. Me And This Army

**I'm very sorry for the long delay on this story. My plot bunnies seem to be trying to hibernate for the winter. Also, I watch too much TV, and yes, I did borrow the little 'you and what army' exchange from the Return of the King movie. **

**Me and This Army**

Riella marched out of the lab without flinching at the gruesome remains of the Decepticon, but Mirage noted that she did turn her body just slightly away, as if trying to shield the sparkling. He raised an optic ridge curiously at Prowl, who was half-draped over and half-supported by the younger mech's shoulder. "She doesn't really think he's… a threat…right?"

"'Course not," Prowl muttered, a slight smile making his cracked lipplates trickle blood. "I'd do the same thing. Little guy doesn't need to see it."

Mirage frowned and tried to adjust Prowl's weight, as his shoulder was currently being twisted a bit. "But he would never remember."

"Don't know that for sure," the older mech growled, wincing. "Ooh…watch it! That hurt!"

"Sorry," Mirage hissed quickly as Riella turned to glare at him. "Sorry. The kid's what, a month old?"

"Probably less," Prowl sighed. "But Ri's got every reason to worry."

The ninja must have been really out of it to shorten her name. Mirage had never even heard the nickname. At least it meant it wouldn't be too hard to talk to Prowl, who could be incredibly stand-offish when he wanted to. "What reason?"

"Near-eidetic memory." At the younger mech's blank look, Prowl sighed again, winced, and clarified. "Common term – photographic memory. All there."

_Photographic memory. Primus, that's got to be a pain_. "You mean she remembers fragging _everything_. She doesn't just forget stuff."

"Just about. It's not absolute." Prowl tried to shrug. The resulting convulsion almost knocked Mirage to the floor. Riella spun around, shoved Trailbreaker out of the way, and practically lunged for her sparkmate.

"Prowl!"

"'m fine," Prowl muttered, twitching oddly. "Jus' fine."

"You are not fine. Here, hold him." Before Mirage could object, he'd been relieved of Prowl's weight and handed the sparkling in return. Riella lowered Prowl to the floor and pressed her hand against the side of his helm. "Residual neuron damage in the left sector from electric shocks. You shouldn't be walking."

"How can you tell all that?" Hound blurted, steadying Jazz. "You just touched him."

Riella's optics narrowed dangerously. "Convulsions indicate neuron damage, strength indicates location, and I was hit with static when I touched him. Happy?"

Hound backed off, leaving the femme to her work, whatever she was doing. Mirage looked awkwardly down at the sparkling in his arms, which made an odd face back at him and blinked wide blue optics. The young spy nodded. "Yeah, buddy, I agree. Not sure what you said, but I agree."

Fifteen minutes and two collapses later (another from Prowl, one from Jazz), Riella slammed open the door to the outer hallway. "Where's Signal Flare and Melody?"

"Top of the shaft waiting," Trailbreaker called from the back of the group.

"Or not!" Melody skidded around the corner and almost knocked Riella and Prowl over, drawing a growl from the femme. "Sorry! We've got a problem, 'Cons right on our backside." Signal Flare stumbled out of the tunnel behind her, vents rasping.

"Frag," Riella snarled. "Let's move. We'll take the main exit."

Signal Flare cursed in some obsolete Kaon dialect. "You're not _actually_ thinking we're going to make it through _Trypticon_!"

Riella's optics flashed. "Yes, I am." Clattering sounded in the tunnel behind her, and she pointed back the way they had come. "Move, now!"

"But …" Signal Flare scrambled to keep up with the femme as she slung Prowl across her shoulder with a grunt of effort and started jogging. "Listen, there's something you need to know!"

"Can it wait until we're out?" Riella sighed. "Slag, I forgot. The portal!"

"What about it?" Mirage held out a hand. "I can take him, you can carry the sparkling – "

"I'm fine, thank you," the femme snapped. "I never found the portal. We have to make sure they never use it. And with Gamma Ray dead, they'll never develop another if we destroy her tech. Did anyone bring explosives?"

"Sure we did." Trailbreaker almost_, almost_ rolled his optics. "Enough to blow the wall if we have to."

Riella slammed the lab door open with one foot. "Don't bother with the wall. Set the charges throughout this room, the one on the far side, and whatever we have left along the hall as we leave. I want them all connected to a remote."

"Done." Trailbreaker gestured for help. "Hound and Mirage! Get your afts over here and help me."

Mirage shifted nervously. "Um, holding the baby, here."

"I've got him." With an impatient gesture, Riella settled Prowl on the floor, where Signal Flare immediately began scanning him, and scooped the infant out of her trainee's arms. "Give me a remote and a few detonators and I'll help you."

Melody, with her own handful of explosive charges, stared in shock. "You're setting detonators while holding a sparkling?"

"It wasn't obvious?" Riella flicked switches and attached magnets one-handed with the familiarity of someone who had done this regularly. "We need every hand. And even if I can only use one, it helps. We _are_ on a schedule here."

Probably wondering what the frag had gotten into her usual-cautious commander, Melody sighed, helped Jazz up with a grunt, and followed Prowl and Signal Flare down the hallway, dropping charges as she went.

Riella still beat them to the door, clamping the last detonator to the lock mechanism. "Three seconds. Clear!"

The explosion pulverized the lock, the door, and part of the wall. The blue femme stalked through the hole without even waiting for the smoke to clear, gesturing silently for the others to follow. Over the private comm link, she snapped, ::Everybody out. Last one through the door gives me the go-ahead to set the remote.::

::All out,:: Mirage replied in his best 'I-am-so-not-worried-about-this' voice.

::Remote is set for two minutes and fifty-nine seconds. Move.:: Riella led the way calmly down the street, only to freeze when she reached the corner of the alley and the main road.

"Yeah," Signal Flare hissed from somewhere behind her. "Remember that important information I needed to tell you? It was that Megatron showed up, put the city in lockdown, and was probably headed for the lab right then. Someone tipped him off."

"Got that," Riella murmured, staring at the barrel of the Decepticon leader's gun a few yards away. "Remind me to listen to you next time." Over the comm link, she ordered, ::Get out of the alley any way you have to. It's going to channel the explosion straight down here.::

::How in the Pit are we supposed to do that?:: Hound demanded.

::Improvise.:: Without another word, Riella tucked Bumblebee against her chest tightly and dived under Megatron's gun, tumbling head-over-heel struts into the street across from the first. Coming up on her feet, she turned her body to protect the sparkling in her arms, activated the small gun in her left wrist, and opened rapid, if rather ineffective, fire on Megatron and the four Decepticons behind him.

Mirage opted for the simpler method of disappearing, and didn't see what anyone else did, but apparently Riella had given them just enough cover to make it, because a second later they were all crouched in the relative safety of the opposite alley. Trailbreaker and Melody joined Mirage and Riella in returning fire, but it did little, if anything; Mirage suspected they would all be dead within a few moments.

"You really thought you could sabotage _me_, Autobots?" Megatron mocked, shattering the wall just above Riella's head with a particularly well-aimed shot. "_Me_? Megatron, future ruler of Cybertron?"

"Yes!" To everyone's shock and horror, Riella stood up so that she was a clear target. "And I still do!"

Megatron laughed, baring sharp fangs. "You and what army, femme?"

Riella's lips curved into a smirk that perfectly matched the Decepticon's as she pointed down the alley. "That army."

"What?" Megatron spun around to see Optimus Prime, Elita One, Ironhide, and at least ten other Autobots advancing toward him from the lab. "Impossible!" he shouted, lunging toward the new arrivals.

Riella's optics narrowed with satisfaction. "You're right. It is." The image dissipated as the lab exploded into a wall-shattering, ground-shaking ball of fire that enveloped the entire alley, along with Megatron and the Decepticons with him. The femme crouched, shielding Bumblebee from the wave of heat and shrapnel that battered them.


End file.
